P a g e | 1
HCS 529:
Past, Present and Future of Facility Design
The University of Phoenix
HCS 529: Contemporary Health Care Facility Design
Past, Present and Future of Facility Design
Health care facility design is something that has evolved over the years from physicians making house calls to construction of large health care campuses that serve the needs of their communities by providing a multitude of services. New technology and the transition to individuals staying home has had a significant impact on the design of health care facilities as well as the direction in which the future of medical care is heading. The advances in technology from nano-technology to home monitoring will greatly impact the patient’s need to “see” a physician as patients are now becoming more actively involved in their health care decisions. The trend of individuals staying home, whether be working from home or streamlining their lines
to not have to leave the house is significantly impacting health care facility design as facilities are shrinking and more home renovations are being done to accommodate the different needs of individuals such as disabled individuals. Health Care 50 years Ago
Health care was much different 50 years ago, the technology was not as advanced, facilities did not take cleanliness as serious and the patient’s privacy and regulatory compliance was inconceivable. Technology was limited as patient charts were hand-written, monitoring P a g e | 2
devices were manual and computers were not utilized. The use of hand-written charts significantly affected the health care facility design as these required storage. The storage of paper charts needed to be secure and free from any potential damage from the elements. The use of this type of charting made is difficult for physicians as they were unable to know the patients history, previous visits or other documentation from other clinicians the patient may have seen. Monitoring devices being done manually meant that a clinician had to physically be present to monitor the patients progress, such as taking blood pressure or monitoring heart rates. In 1920, the first medical records emerged at which required the documentation of details, complications and outcomes. In 1928, medical records became standardized. In 1960, computers were introduced into health care which significantly changed health care and the design of its facilities. Patients would have to leave their houses to visit the doctor or the doctor would make house calls to the patient’s home. In these circumstances, this meant not a lot of demand for health care facilities. Doctors making house calls would bring their bag of equipment to perform a physical exam on the patient and advise if further testing or hospitalization was needed. The process of diagnosis and testing was a manual process. If patients did go to the doctor, the went to a basic clinic for their examination and then were sent to a larger facility if more treatment was required. Trends Evolved in The Present
“Personal technologies, particularly wearables are pushing the care of health and wellbeing into people’s conscious thinking throughout each day – tracking eating, movement, sleep and more” (Pennic, 2020). These wearable devices assist patients by indicating if medical attention is required, schedule appointments as well as even advising of safe transportation routes
HCS 529:
Past, Present and Future of Facility Design
The University of Phoenix
HCS 529: Contemporary Health Care Facility Design
Past, Present and Future of Facility Design
Health care facility design is something that has evolved over the years from physicians making house calls to construction of large health care campuses that serve the needs of their communities by providing a multitude of services. New technology and the transition to individuals staying home has had a significant impact on the design of health care facilities as well as the direction in which the future of medical care is heading. The advances in technology from nano-technology to home monitoring will greatly impact the patient’s need to “see” a physician as patients are now becoming more actively involved in their health care decisions. The trend of individuals staying home, whether be working from home or streamlining their lines
to not have to leave the house is significantly impacting health care facility design as facilities are shrinking and more home renovations are being done to accommodate the different needs of individuals such as disabled individuals. Health Care 50 years Ago
Health care was much different 50 years ago, the technology was not as advanced, facilities did not take cleanliness as serious and the patient’s privacy and regulatory compliance was inconceivable. Technology was limited as patient charts were hand-written, monitoring P a g e | 2
devices were manual and computers were not utilized. The use of hand-written charts significantly affected the health care facility design as these required storage. The storage of paper charts needed to be secure and free from any potential damage from the elements. The use of this type of charting made is difficult for physicians as they were unable to know the patients history, previous visits or other documentation from other clinicians the patient may have seen. Monitoring devices being done manually meant that a clinician had to physically be present to monitor the patients progress, such as taking blood pressure or monitoring heart rates. In 1920, the first medical records emerged at which required the documentation of details, complications and outcomes. In 1928, medical records became standardized. In 1960, computers were introduced into health care which significantly changed health care and the design of its facilities. Patients would have to leave their houses to visit the doctor or the doctor would make house calls to the patient’s home. In these circumstances, this meant not a lot of demand for health care facilities. Doctors making house calls would bring their bag of equipment to perform a physical exam on the patient and advise if further testing or hospitalization was needed. The process of diagnosis and testing was a manual process. If patients did go to the doctor, the went to a basic clinic for their examination and then were sent to a larger facility if more treatment was required. Trends Evolved in The Present
“Personal technologies, particularly wearables are pushing the care of health and wellbeing into people’s conscious thinking throughout each day – tracking eating, movement, sleep and more” (Pennic, 2020). These wearable devices assist patients by indicating if medical attention is required, schedule appointments as well as even advising of safe transportation routes
